Everything mentioned here so far is really nice and something you would be proud to own and play. Just wanted to put in a plug for Alvarez-Yairi. I have one I bought in 1972 from Dean Markley when he had a tiny music shop in Silicon Valley. I told him I was looking for the guitar I'd play for the rest of my life. He put this one in my hands and I have never regretted it. It has a marvelous, slender V-neck that is the most comfortable I've found on any instrument. As far as I know, Dean was the originator of phosphor-bronze strings. I have never used anything else on this guitar and have been rewarded with a warm, full sound without the boominess associated with some dreadnoughts.

It is a copy of a Martin D-41/45. A-Y began by doing straight copies of Martins; they have moved on into innovative designs with a strong tradition of hand craftsmanship. Their top-end acoustic electrics incorporate Fishman pickups and preamps. You can spend as much as $3K for one of their instruments, but you may not have to. I paid around $500-$700 for my axe 37 years ago. I feel it is fully the equivalent of an instrument costing many times as much in yesterday's dollars or today's.

Artists as diverse as Bob Weir (Grateful Dead) and Jon Anderson (Yes) have endorsed their instruments.

I tried to check for a dealership in your area, but their "Shop" link is temporarily down. You can try later at http://www.alvarezgtr.com/index.php.

I wish you the best of luck in your search and look forward to hearing of your decision.

Richard.

"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."